W. H. PRATT TXSCRIRED ROCK AT STERLIIS'G, ILL. S9 



described in our Proceedings, Vol. T, page 103, and he kindly gave 

 nie a careful description of" his observations. 



He says the human bpnes were exceedingly numerous in every 

 case, and usually in no regular order, though "the positions in which 

 the majority of the skulls were found indicate that the bodies were 

 buried with the heads in to the center." 



In one mound on the low ground he found as many as twelve skel- 

 etons in a space of four feet square. He says, "in one mound on the 

 hill T found, after digging five feet, a bed of ashes eight inches thick, 

 and then a bed of charcoal of the same thickness, and as nice as if it 

 had been burned to-day. In another mound on the hill, at the depth 

 of seven or eight feet, there were at least seven or eight skeletons, 

 some small and others large, but only one in such a state of preserva- 

 tion that it could be handled without falling to pieces, and this was 

 about five feet eight inches high." This he secured in pretty good 

 condition. It was evidently buried "in a sitting posture, and had the 

 ribs around the skull. The face was to the northAvest, and directly 

 toward the river." In this mound he also found a "bowl" of fine, 

 compact, firm clay pottery, well burned, of a clay color, but much 

 blackened outside, apparently by smoke It is evidently of a quite 

 different quality from other vessels we have found in this vicinity. It 

 is 4:f inches in diameter and 2^ inches in height; capacity, about 30 

 cubic inches, and much ornamented on the outside. 



This bowl had apparently been placed, inverted, on the top of a 

 skull, but the latter A-as quite decayed except the portion which was 

 covered by the bowl. This piece of skull he preserved. 



Inscribed Rock at Sterling-, 111. 



BY W. H. PRATT. 



On a recent visit to Sterling, I was shown by Dr. J. S. Everett, Sec- 

 retary of the Sterling Scientific x\ssociation, an inscribed rock recent- 

 ly exhumed in grading the race track in the new fair grounds at the 

 south edge of the town. 



It is a mass about 3-i- by 2j by 2 feet of Galena limestone, having 

 on one side a somewhat flat surface — natural, not ground — about 20 

 inches in diametei", on which have been rudely cut or picked with 

 some blunt instrument — probably a stone — a few large, coarse figures. 



No connected design or plan can be traced in them, or any signifi- 



[Proc. D. A. N. S., Vol. III.J 12 [Dec. 28, 1881.] 



